Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

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The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program conducts a semiannual survey of businesses and produces nearly 800 employment and wage estimates for Missouri. Under the direction of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) these employment and wage estimates are calculated for statewide Missouri, as well as Missouri’s 9 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) and 4 Balance of State (BOS) regions. The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC) in cooperation with BLS, also calculates employment and wage estimates for Missouri’s 10 Workforce Investment Areas (WIA). These WIA estimates are produced independently of BLS, and include both “Entry” and “Experienced” wage estimates. Due to confidentiality and quality criteria, MERIC cannot produce estimates for every occupation in every geographic area. In order to better meet the needs of our local users, the Missouri Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) staff has produced wage estimates for other geographic areas within Missouri. These estimates incorporate data from OES and are generated utilizing BLS approved methodology. Data for the OES surveys was collected on different occupational structures and therefore are not directly compatible. They have not been validated by BLS and are not official BLS data series. However, the Missouri OES staff feels that they provide additional information that is useful to the users of Missouri data.